


Kind Heart

by DetroitTulip



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Contraband, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Good Parent Hank Anderson, M/M, MerMay 2020, Merman Connor, Sailor Hank
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27257989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DetroitTulip/pseuds/DetroitTulip
Summary: “You really do not know anything about merpeople, do you?” the merman crooked a smile. “You are not even trying to understand us, we are nothing more than things to you. Things that bring lots of money.”____Cole is ill, Hank needs money, so he decided to sell a merman’s scales on the black market. But he catches Connor and face a terrible dilemma.Written for Mermay 2020 HankCon Zine
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor
Comments: 1
Kudos: 70





	Kind Heart

**Author's Note:**

> So excited to finally post it! Hope you’ll love it!

The human race has always considered itself the rulers of the world. People felt permissive in this world because they had huge ships, terrifying guns, revolvers, and nets. They used it all to prove their supremacy on the land and at the sea. And if on land there was no one to challenge their authority, the seas and oceans have belonged to merpeople since the beginning of the world.

Extraordinarily beautiful creatures with a human torso and fish tails had a murderously magnetic voice and were the grief for sailors and the treasure for pirates. Their large, shiny scales, their velvet fins, were highly regarded in the black market. However, getting them was almost impossible. Firstly, the merpeople were cunning and dangerous. They could charm with their voice and drown an entire crew of pirates. Secondly, the merpeople were intelligent, they could speak, they had shoals and families, and therefore not everyone was ready to kill a creature, which is so similar to a man. Only the most merciless or desperate went for it.

Hank was the second one.

He used to be an ordinary sailor with his crew, sold fish and other marine life on the market, and always avoided places where one could see huge fins on the stock. The idea of killing merpeople seemed wild to him.

His wife had warm feelings for these creatures. She loved to tell Cole about merpeople, fascinating creatures with a big heart, who simply try to avoid human cruelty. Hank could not agree with her, he knew that these creatures were not as innocent as they seemed, but he liked to listen to her fairy tales. And Cole, too.

Everything’s changed years later when his wife passed away and Anderson’s money was no longer enough for food, clothing, and tribute. They fed on a part of Hank’s catch, but that made his profit even less. Barely making ends meet, Anderson prayed that nothing would happen to shake out their fragile balance. And then, Cole got sick.

The boy needed regular healer’s care and expensive medicine. Hank could no longer go to the sea for a long time, which caused a disastrous money shortfall. He borrowed from his friends, sold different things, but nothing really helped. A lot of money was needed, urgently, and Anderson knew the only way to get it.

That’s how he found himself on a ship in the mermaid bay with a hastily recruited crew of five, each of them had their reasons for having that sin on their conscience.

***

It was the second day that their ship was circling the bay, but they hadn’t seen a single merperson yet. Aderson was desperate. Soon he’d have to come back home: Cole, even being a responsible grown-up boy, would not hold out alone for long. Of course, Hank’s close friend, Jeffrey, has been looking after him, but he barely could help the boy, if he gets worse again.

It seemed strange that merpeople haven’t shown up, cause the bay wasn’t called like that for fun. All around there were wrecks of dozens of pirate ships that these creatures drowned. ‘Perhaps they have some kind of migration period, like fish or animals,’ thought Anderson, looking out over the sea.

“Where all these beasts are?” muttered Reed, the ship’s quartermaster.

As Anderson was aware, this guy was here not for money, but for revenge: his brother was drowned by a mermaid.

“Feels like the calm before the storm,” said Collins, the navigator.

Hank looked out over the sea again, and he couldn’t disagree. Something was coming, something was about to happen. And despite their chances of success being slim to none, Anderson believed, that he’d better never come back than come back without a mermaid. At least, he won’t be watching his son dying.

***

Collins was right. That night Hank was awakened by the scream and realized — the hunt had begun. The hunt for them. He put earplugs into his ears and ran out on the deck, where Gavin gestured, that one of them was already overboard. Others were lucky to mute mermaid singing. 

Anderson looked over the side, there were not many of them, a small shoal. They could be barely seen in the moonlight, but it was clear that they’re retreating to the reefs, where the ship couldn’t pass. Their mouths were open, they were still singing, hoping that people at least realize the futility of trying and float away.

Hank’s immediately created a plan: to drive them into a dead end and by shooting to arrange a collapse. The idea seemed to be absurd, but it was their last chance and the mermaids were so luckily swimming to the crags. “Aim not for them, but the rocks,” Anderson gestured to the crew.

The first shell hit its target and the stones crashed down on the shoal, but they managed to float away in different directions and abyss under the water. Another shot whistled and then the ship pulled closer so that Hank could check the crash. At first, it seemed like everything was empty, there were no tails of the beasts or any water vibrations. But suddenly, the scale flashed between the rocks. Did they really manage to pin down even one?

“Get the boat ready,” signed Anderson. The hope was burning in his heart, but at the same time, it scorched. The thought that he’s just killed a humanlike creature was haunting him.

***

When the men pulled the merman out from the crash, they noticed that he’s alive. Only his tail was pinned down and damaged by the rocks, but he was conscious. He sluggishly fought back and looked at the sailors with fear and grudge, opening his mouth, apparently, trying to talk or to sing.

That was the first time Anderson saw the sea creature so close. And the legends were true, the merpeople were amazingly beautiful. This one had slightly pale skin, a neat slit of gills on the neck, large, iridescent blue scales, and a large translucent fin looking like that of a tropical fish. The piercing brown eyes stared right into the soul, making feel uneasy.

The sailors dragged the merman into the hold, then went to the deck to discuss the plan for further action. Any of them could hardly believe that they’ve managed to catch a mermaid, and so easily.

“We should finish it off,” Reed was the first to suggest. “It’s dangerous to keep it alive on the ship.”

“No,” said Hank. “His fin won’t heal and we’ll lose coins.”

“Agree. Damaged goods are discounted,” Collins said in an informed manner.

The men looked at each other.

“So, what does it need? Water? Food?” asked Chris.

“I think we should put him in a barrel. Take the big one,” Hank nodded toward the hold.

“So it wouldn’t try to escape, attach a weight to the fin,” Reed finally agreed.

Hank decided to work on the creature’s treatment personally. After all, he didn’t trust Gavin’s self-control, and the other crew members were clearly afraid of getting closer to the merman, moreover, Anderson believed they are way easier to be fooled. It was better to take matters into his own hands, as his son’s life depended on it.

***

When Hank first came to the merman, he was sitting still in the barrel, and only the top of his head and two brown eyes were peeking out of the water. He stared at Anderson and watched his every move until he got closer and tried to reach out to the creature with his hand. It flinched, hissed, and dived under the water. Hank sighed and poured some water out, so the guy could not hide again.

“I’ll remove the earplugs,” Anderson said when the merman grudgingly focused on him. “But if you try to sing, I’ll shoot you,” he warned and pulled the gun from its holster, clearly demonstrating he’s not joking.

The merman distrustfully looked at him and diffidently nodded. Then Hank removed one of the plugs.

“I need to treat your wound,” he said slowly and clearly, so he would be certainly understood. He took a vial of healing mud from his bosom, but the merman shook his head.

“I’ll do it myself,” he insisted.

It was the first time Anderson heard his voice and it was… funny? Quite high and soft, a bit hoarse, might be from shouting or singing.

“Alright,” Hank gave him the bottle, thinking that he was not so happy about touching this dangerous creature anyway.

The merman was treating the wound under careful and slightly curious look, and then put the jar on the table next to him.

“Why are you trying to help me?” he asked distrustfully.

“I don’t,” Hank corrects him, trying to keep an indifferent, unemotional voice. “I need you to be healthy.”

“So, I’ll be murdered later,” the merman concludes, looking at the sailor.

There was something in that look, something trying to put to shame or to appeal to the conscience, but at the same time, it wasn’t sad, more like resigned. The merpeople must have known the end of such hunt, so it was easy to explain. The guy was ready to die ahead of time. Hank sighed. He shouldn’t think about it that much. They can’t afford to be sorry.

Anderson decided to leave him without an answer and tried to look as uninvolved as possible.

“You’ll get water and food in an hour. You’d better eat whatever you’re given,” he said, turned away, and hurried to get away from these damn eyes.

***

The next day, Anderson came into the hold in the morning, while the crew was still asleep. The creature sat staring at the ceiling, his head lying on hands folded at the edge of the barrel. Nearby, on the table, was untouched food, fish that had already spoiled.

“Why don’t you eat?” Hank came closer and frowned at the merman. If that was some way to harm himself, Anderson was ready to feed the creature by force.

“It is a fish. I don’t eat fish,” the merman explained calmly, opening one eye.

“What do you eat then?” tried to keep calm Anderson, although it seemed like the creature was trying to make him mad.

“You really do not know anything about merpeople, do you?” the merman crooked a smile. “You are not even trying to understand us, we are nothing more than things to you. Things that bring lots of money.”

Hank twitched. The guy’s tone remained the same, but he’s got that condemnation in his eyes. And the most unpleasant thing was that he was right. Humans have never tried to learn about merpeople or negotiate with them. They are used to taking everything they need by force.

‘Stop it. This is not the time to listen to your conscience,’ the man told himself.

“I asked what do you fuckin’ eat,” he repeated impatiently.

“Fruits, seaweed. We are not predators. Not my species,” merman finally answered and turned away.

Anderson swore under his breath, took the plates and left.

***

Hank got him some fruit nevertheless, so the merman began to eat little by little. He was still gloomy and silent, and sometimes he didn’t even want to look at the sailor. He didn’t let others near him at all, he hid in a barrel and waited for them to leave.  
On the third day, the water in the barrel became muddy, it needed to be changed, and the merman needed to be cleaned, too. Hank personally insisted on this, although the crew wasn’t eager to care for the prey. It seemed to them that the guy might bear with it, but Anderson saw that he was totally uncomfortable. His skin was stained with dirt, and an unpleasant musty smell came from the water.

So, they pulled the merman out of the barrel and set him on the table. He hardly understood what was happening, started hissing again, until Hank dragged a bucket of water and shushed the raving creature.

“I have to clean you. Or do you want to sit in the damn mud?” he said, irritated.

The creature looked at him in surprise, but calmed down and endured all the time that Hank carefully washed him with a sponge. He was especially careful with a healing wound so as not to hurt the merman. That was absurd. Trying not to harm now to kill later.

‘It is still not a man,’ Anderson tried to convince himself, but the longer he looked at the creature, the more it seemed to him that he was making a terrible mistake. Yes, merpeople were different from humans but these eyes, they were completely human.

‘Cole. It’s for Cole’s sake,’ he reminded himself stubbornly as he rubbed the guy’s neck and collarbones. Too many human parts.

“Thank you,” merman suddenly said. “Hank.” 

“How do you know my name?” the man was surprised, although he quickly realized that the creature just heard his name from the crew. “Do you have one?”

He asked and immediately regretted it. Give the creature a name, and it will certainly not be just a catch for the market.

“Connor,” he introduced himself. “From the southwest shoal.”

“Connor,” Anderson repeated, tasting the name. Unusual, like the guy himself.

“I’m sorry, Hank,” the mermaid said. “Whatever motivates you to kill, I’m sorry.”

And he sounded so sad, so sincere, his big eyes looked right into man’s heart. Anderson didn’t expect that, neither the words nor the behavior. He felt like this creature was much smarter than it seems. As if it sees right through them all.

“Take it from here,” Hank gave him the sponge, unable to stand it.

***

At night, he dreamed of his wife, as he remembered her from their youth. Dark-haired beauty with a soft smile and delightful eyes the color of the sea. She sat on the seashore and cried, hugging Cole, who was desperately clinging to his mother. Hank did not understand what had happened. He hastened to approach, but then the woman turned to him and screamed not to come closer. Cole looked at him in horror.  
Anderson noticed his hands and clothes. All of it was dripping with blood.

***

The next day, Hank entered the hold with only one purpose, “How did you find out the reason for this hunt?” he asked as soon as Connor noticed him. The merman looked a little worried, perhaps because he was afraid that Anderson would no longer bring him food or ointment. That they will kill him very soon.

“I don’t know it,” Connor answered honestly. “You just look like a good person. You feed me fruit, and you convinced the crew to change my water. Other pirates are not like you, they are fierce,” he said confidently as if talked to people every day and knew a lot about mankind.

“Trying to appease?” Anderson sneered.

“I don’t think it will help,” the mermaid shrugged. He looked up to the sailor with his big eyes and smiled slightly. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

Hank was a little surprised. Not that the merman was constantly silent before, but he had not shown interest in him for sure. Is this all some kind of trick? Or was he just bored of sitting here alone?

“Maybe,” Anderson answered.

“What is the reason?”

There was a long pause. Hank sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He didn’t know whether it was worth it to tell something about his son but, on the other hand, how could it hurt anyone? At least Connor will know the reason for his death, and Anderson will try to justify himself. Not that it’ll work.

“My son is seriously ill, but we have no money for his treatment,” Hank answered shortly.

Connor looked sad, as if it was his tragedy, too. Perhaps he just felt embarrassed that he asked, even if he had the right to know the truth.

“Where is he now? On the ship?” he sounded worried.

“At home. But he is not alone, my friend is with him, and Sumo.”

The merman exhaled and relaxed a bit.

“Sumo?”

“Our dog.”

“Oh,” the guy suddenly was very delighted. “I like dogs!”

Hank grinned at such a certain statement. Connor probably only saw dogs from afar, didn’t even know how soft and playful and devoted they are. And now, after all, he would never know. Fuck. The guy still managed to appease him. This wasn’t good.

***

The mermaids were charming, this could not be denied. Perhaps that’s why Hank gave in so easily to Connor’s persuasion to sit with him longer and talk. He asked more and more questions about the land, about things around, about people themselves. It seemed that he was trying to eagerly learn everything that he could learn if he lived longer.

Anderson enjoyed their conversation, even though sometimes the guy’s unexpected liveliness annoyed him a lot. As well as his immense curiosity, bordering on arrogance. Sometimes he made remarks to him, saying that he should eat more fruits or not stay in the sun for too long. Hank rolled his eyes and deliberately continued to eat fish. Because, what else he could do? All the fruit was for merman now.

Connor turned out to be too human. He stopped hiding his emotions, and often looked bewildered or upset. But sometimes he laughed at the sailor’s vulgar jokes (which Hank had to explain), and it was pure magic to see the smile of one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet.

The man didn’t understand why the merman had suddenly become so open, but couldn’t deny that he was flattered. Anderson almost forgot why this beautiful creature is in his hold but the crew had already been actively discussing how to share the money.

“He’s just a catch,” Hank reminded himself at such moments, “don’t get attached.” But then he went down to Connor, and he was already waiting for him with a new bunch of questions. Anderson, however, never asked the guy in return. He heard that he has a brother and a mother, but nothing more. He understood that if he heard this sentimental story, he certainly would not stand it, would give up, and let him go.

***

It was the last night on the ship, the port was no more than two hours away. Hank sat on the deck while everyone was sleeping, and his conscience devoured him alive. He remembered Cole, his precious boy, for whom he was ready to do anything. He told himself that there was no other way to save him.

But then he remembered Connor, his shining eyes, his childish curiosity, and that gentle smile on his lips when he listened about Sumo. Connor never asked Hank to let him go, never asked what would happen to him, never tried to put any pressure on him or play on sympathy.

It only made everything worse. Anderson exchanged one beautiful life to another, and it was absolutely wrong. Even Cole wouldn’t appreciate the efforts if he knew that Hank had given one of his beloved creatures to the market.

And then how to look his son in the eyes? How to hug him with that bloody arms?

Hank went down into the hold. He didn’t know what to do, yet, he just wanted to see Connor again. The merman didn’t sleep, oddly enough. He sat on the edge of the barrel and ate an apple until he turned his attention to Anderson.

“Hank? Can’t sleep?” the guy asked sympathetically.

“We are arriving soon,” Anderson replied and sat on a chair.

The guy fidgeted nervously and sank into the barrel. His glance flicked through the hold and stopped on the sailor. The merman sighed heavily and put his hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry it has to be like that, Hank. Under other circumstances... Maybe we could have become friends.”

“I’m sure wouldn’t tolerate such a talkative asshole,” Anderson grinned. But his heart ached. He couldn’t, he just couldn’t deliver him to the market tomorrow. Could not let him be killed, torn apart.

He wasn’t ready to save Cole at the cost of someone else’s innocent life. No matter how much he loved him, there had to be another way. He could sell the house, sell his ship. He could do the most difficult, dirty jobs. He could scrape this money by hard work, but certainly not like that. Not by killing this creature.

“Crawl out of the barrel,” Hank resolutely ordered.

“What?” Connor sounded surprised.

“Crawl out before I change my mind!” growled Anderson.

The merman was confused, but knocked the barrel over and climbed out of it. Hank rummaged through his pockets and found the key to the chain that was holding the tail. He had to act quickly until the crew woke up.

Connor looked at the man excitedly and shocked.

“Hank,” his voice trembled. It was as if he had just made some decision. “Hank, I need to tell you something! My shoal, it...”

“Silence!” the man took the guy in his arms and carried him to the deck. Connor was trying to explain something, but Anderson was more focused on not waking the team up, so he shushed at the guy one more time.

“I am very sorry for what happened to you, Connor,” he began, putting the merman on the ship’s side. “I hope you find your-”  
He didn’t have time to finish, he suddenly felt dizzy and his eyesight went blurry. The last thing Hank heard was Connor’s heart-rending cry.

***

“I’m here, I’ve got you,” the guy whispered in the man’s ear as he woke up and coughed, opened his eyes.

Hank looked around, they were in the water, the whole crew. Merpeople, and there were lots of them, supported them by the arms so that men wouldn’t swallow water. A few meters from them was their precious ship, burning.

“Connor?” Anderson asked confusedly, turning to the merman.

He smiled apologetically and turned his eyes to the others.

“I tried to tell you, Hank, that my shoal would come after me.”

The man froze for a moment, trying to grasp what had happened, and then the realization came to him. That is why Connor was so calm, he was sure that his people would save him! They attacked when the team was already relaxed, hypnotized, and wanted to drown them. But they didn’t.

“You stopped them,” Anderson said in surprise. “Why?”

“Because he’s a fool,” some mermaid snorted nearby, holding Chris. He was still unconscious.

“As I said, you are a good man, Hank,” Connor smiled. “You’ve made a mistake, but you tried to fix it. I forgive you. And I’m sorry your ship was destroyed.”

“Not a bit,” snorted another merman, holding Reed. He looked strangely like Connor.

“Rich,” snaped a dark-skinned merman with unusual eyes.

Hank smiled slightly to Connor.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely, and with one hand raffled the guy’s wet hair. The merman nodded, smiling back.  
“We will take you to the shallow, as an apology for the damaged ship,” Connor said.

***

For about an hour, the merpeople dragged them on their backs. All sailors woke up eventually, and everyone was dumbfounded, afraid, or angry, but even Reed quickly calmed down by the threat of returning him to a burning ship or under the water.  
All this time Connor was talking about his shoal, introduced his mother and brother, who were not so pleased to meet him, and even said that this was not the first time they caught smugglers this way.

When they finally came to the shallow, it was time to say goodbye. Connor even looked a little upset, and Hank shared his feelings. He had attached to this creature and even believed in his wife's tales about their kind heart now. Pity, Cole couldn’t meet them.

“Hank. Come to the west coast tomorrow with Cole and Sumo,” instead of saying goodbye, asked the merman and, waving his tail, swam away with the others.

“Damn it,” Reed gasped and looked at the crew. “I'm coming back to the fuckin’ rail.”

***

The dazzling dawn, Cole, Sumo, and Hank sat on the shore and waited for their guest. Finally, the water surface waved, and Connor swam ashore. He dragged behind him several nets with gold coins and gems. He pulled all this out onto the sand and smiled at Cole, who was struck not at all by wealth, but by the merman itself.

“Oh my god!” he laughed, rushing to Connor, examining the beautiful tail with shiny scales, shamelessly touching the fins.  
The merman chuckled, at the child's reaction, until he noticed that Hank had come closer, too, and hugged him tightly.

“You’re a damn treasure, Connor,” he whispered, pressing the guy to himself.

“Well, nothing is too good for such a cute boy,” Connor shrugged but hugged the man and the boy, too, smiling brightly. He was just really happy to help them.

They had spent all day on the beach until Cole got exhausted and it was a high time to leave. Though Andersons really didn’t want to. Cole and Hank spent one of the most relaxing and happiest days with the merman. Connor played with Sumo in the water and rode Cole on his back and it seemed he didn’t want to say goodbye either.

“Dad, can we take Connor home?” the boy pouted his lips.

“I don't think so,” the man smiled softly, still he wished they could. “I hope he visits us again, at least.”

Hank came closer and shook his hand, thanking heartwarmingly for everything. Connor smiled and blew a kiss to Anderson. He promised, they would see each other often, if the family wanted. Perhaps, they still have a chance to become friends. Perhaps, even something more.


End file.
